Moving beyond Schein's typology: individual career anchors in the context of Nigeria
| Pages | 978-995 |
| Published date | 25 September 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480710822463 |
| Date | 25 September 2007 |
| Author | Afam Ituma,Ruth Simpson |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Moving beyond Schein’s typology:
individual career anchors in the
context of Nigeria
Afam Ituma and Ruth Simpson
Brunel Business School, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK
Abstract
Purpose – Drawing on institutional theory, this study sets out to explore the career anchors that
exist among information technology (IT) workers in Nigeria and also to establish the strongest
anchors in this context.
Design/methodology/approach – This research adopted a two-pronged methodological approach,
which involved the use of 30 semi-structured interviews and a 336-question survey.
Findings – Results suggest the continued significance oftraditional orientations to careers in Nigeria
as well as orientations associated with new career theory.
Research limitations/implications – The extent to which the findings of this research can be
generalised is constrained by the selected context of the research.
Practical implications – Human resources managers in Nigeria should be cautious of adopting
career management models developed in the West. They should provide a reward system, which
minimises financial uncertainty and risk.
Originality/value – This paper provides valuable insights on the career anchors of IT workers in a
relatively neglected region in the literature. It also extends Schein’s original career anchor theory.
Keywords Careers, Careerdevelopment, Nigeria, Communication technologies,Employees,
Developing countries
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Over the past few years, there has been a growing research interest in the influence of
national culture and societal institutions on careers (recent examples include Baruch
(2004) and Thomas and Inkson (2006)). There is a broad consensus among these
scholars that careers are shaped and constrained by the socio-cultural and economic
factors embedded in different national contexts. Despite recognition of the importance
of such contextual factors for shaping individual careers, the career literature has
largely neglected to account for career dynamics in diverse national contexts (Thomas
and Inkson, 2006). Our knowledge of individual careers has accordingly been largely
informed by research and models developed in Western developed countries (Budhwar
and Baruch, 2003) and so may not accurately reflect the careers of individuals in other
national contexts.
In this respect, the career anchors of workers in less developed countries are a
neglected and little understood area of inquiry (Counsell, 2002; Pringle and Mallon,
2003). Drawing on institutional theory and through a study of a particular group of
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
The authors are grateful to John Blenkinsopp, Newcastle University Business School, UK for his
valuable comments and suggestions on an earlier draft.
PR
36,6
978
Received June 2006
Revised September 2006
Accepted December 2006
Personnel Review
Vol. 36 No. 6, 2007
pp. 978-995
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/00483480710822463
skilled workers in Nigeria – specifically those involved in information technology –we
aim to fill this research gap. Moreover, in contrast to the majority of empirical work
which has focused on the “external” career i.e. the externally visible roles or offices held
by an individual, we explore the nature of the “internal” career which concerns internal
values, interests and motives held dearly by an individual (Gattiker and Larwood,
1988). The internal career is typically conceptualised in terms of career orientations or
career anchors (Sparrow and Hiltrop, 1996). Drawing on Schein’s (1978) work, these
refer to the constellation of self-perceived attitudes, values, needs and talents that
develop over time, and which shape and guide career choices and directions. An
understanding of the career anchors of individuals is important because congruence
between individual anchors and work environment is thought to lead to positive career
outcome such as job effectiveness, job satisfaction and high retention while
incongruence is likely to lead to job dissatisfaction and high turnover (Schein, 1978).
The overall objective of this paper is thus to contribute the Nigerian perspective and
context to the wider discourse on the socially constructed nature of careers. In doing so
the paper will explore the different dimensions of career anchors that exist among a
specific group of workers in Nigeria as well as the relative importance attached to each
anchor.
Career perspectives
A common view in the growing literature on careers is the notion that careers have an
external as well as an internal dimension. The external career concerns the series of
positions or offices which an individual holds (Sparrow and Hiltrop, 1996; Nicholson,
2000), while the internal career, as noted above, concerns the internal values, interests
and motives held by an individual (Sparrow and Hiltrop, 1996). Most research and
theory about careers have evolved around these two dominant views.
However, despite consensus am ong scholars that careers have the se two
dimensions, Arthur and Rousseau (1996) found that more than 75 per cent of the
career-related articles published in major journals between 1990 and 1994 focused on
the external aspects of career. By contrast, research on the internal dimension has been
relatively neglected. However, the internal career is increasingly being recognised as
significant as individuals are expected to take greater responsibility for both the
direction and interpretation of their unfolding careers (Hall, 2002). This development is
associated with new career theory (e.g., Hall and Mirvis, 1996) which suggests a rise in
“boundaryless” or “protean” careers. These conceptualise a “new deal” whereby the
traditional career (where salary, status and a secure career ladder within a single
organisation are exchanged for loyalty and commitment) may be giving way to the
need for individuals to take responsibility for their own career management in a more
uncertain environment, where career paths go beyond the boundaries of a single
organisation (Hall, 1996) and where there is an emphasis on portable skills and on
meaningful work (Hall and Mirvis, 1996).
A foundational model for understanding individuals’ internal careers is Schein’s
career anchor theory. Schein (1987, p. 158) defines a career anchor as:
[...] that one element in our self-concept that we will not give up, even when forced to make a
difficult decision.
Beyond Schein’s
typology
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